The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-03-24
T H e
Pacific Commercial Advertiser
THURSDAY
SOME LOCAL ABUSES.

Our evening contemporary has hit
blot on our local customs which cannot
be too strongly deprecated. Reckless
driving is one of the abuses of Honolulu.
We have nothing whatever to say of the
"cab" regulations in force. These are
all that could be desired If they were
only enforced; but they are not. So far
as they affect the safety and comfort OF
individuals they are dead letter. This
is not as it should be. Public safety
should be the first aim of local gov
eminent; public comfort should be the
second In theory, both are provided
for; in practice, both are disregarded.
The Bulletin" cites the crowding OF
pedestrians attending the Hawaiian
Opera House on the occasion of public
performances by cabs or Expresses"
This certainly is an abuse, dangerous
to life and limb, which should be re-
dressed. The Hack Inspector does his
best, but that is insufficient From the
surrounding conditions this is inevitable
In the first place, Palace Square is not
sufficiently lighted; in the next place
there is not sufficient police assistance
at hand and lastly, the drivers who
have had everything their own way fol
80 long take chances, and try to get a.
many fares as possible without reference
to the rights of others. These condi-
tions should be changed without delay
for the common good.
But there is another and far greater
evil, and one which is pregnant
with accident and death, which our
contemporary does not mention. We
refer to the indiscriminate licensing OF
unskilled drivers-of men who cannot
turn a corner or pass another vehicle,
of others who do not know a single To-
cality in the city, and being ignorant OF
English cannot be instructed by the class
which makes the greatest use of public
conveyances. These unskillful drivers
are of various nationalities; but the
most dangerous of all is the Chinese
hack driver. lie Is nuisance Oh
wheels, and a perpetual source OF
danger whether coming or going. He
keeps saving and swinging from side to
side without having the slightest al
parent control of the animal driven, and
displaying the most stolid indifference
of the "rule of the road or the. mis-
chief he may have occasioned. We say
most positively that it is wrong to IL
cense such men as hack drivers, and we
hereby call the attention Of the Minis
ter of the Interior to this fragrant abuse.
Fast driving and riding, especially in
crowded thoroughfares and at street
crossings, is another local abuse. The
regulations are explicit upon this point
but they are not enforced. Another
abuse is the breaking and training OF
horses on the streets and along the
highways near the city. This is at once
dangerous and wrong, and would not be
tolerated for single day in any well
regulated community. Should popula-
, ton increase, and wealth keep pace
with the increase of inhabitants, the ex-
listing practice would soon become un-
bearable; but we presume that it will
continue until some serious accident
arouses public sentiment and compels
the authorities to put stop to it.
The hitching OF horses on the streets
for hours, stopping vehicles on street
crossings, and variety of other minor
abuses of constant occurrence. have
been covered by a law passed last SEES
sion of the Legislature, but as yet no
steps have been taken to bring the stat
ute into operation. We respectfully call
the Marshal's attention to this matter in
the hope that it will be attended to with
out unnecessary delay.
Abuses in connection with the santa
ton of the city have become moss
grown and we conclude that these will
not be done away with. Yet, something
might be done to ameliorate the evil
We have had very long rainy season,
and now there is a prospect of long
hot spell. With the ground thoroughly
saturated with moisture, and with the
accumulation of years of filth in the
soil. the chances are that fevers will be
induced. Indeed it is quite possible
that an epidemic may break out. How
necessary, therefore, to remove surface